Dragon Ball: Xenoverse
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Review Summary
Dragon Ball: Xenoverse is at most a mediocre fighting game with bugs and technical issues. But its story, customization option and the sheer fact that its a Dragonball MMO make it worth it for fans of the franchise.
Critic Reviews for Dragon Ball: Xenoverse
Dragon Ball XenoVerse lets you customize your own fighter, but good luck with the dull, unfair fighting.
No doubt a dream come true for fans, but with so little innovation in the core gameplay the boast of being an interactive cartoon seems more like a liability than a positive.
The story is silly, but I enjoyed the excuse to revisit memorable moments from the show with a new, sometimes ridiculous lens
Dragon Ball Xenoverse doesn't excel as a fighting game, but the customization options and fresh story beats add a new spin to a stagnant series.
Dragon Ball XenoVerse may not have a complex fighting system, but this game is all about fan service! Why else would the developers let players fight as Goku against Frieza, then Goku vs. Cell, and then Super Saiyan Goku vs. Kid Boo in the very first scenario?
Xenoverse is worth a recommendation for diehard Dragon Ball Z fans interested in participating in the story. Seeing your own created character interact with legendary moments from the anime is satisfying, and it's fun to witness characters like Nappa and Goku become allies. However, the shallow and repetitive gameplay lacks the same impact, and the long grind is a heavy burden. Those without such a strong attachment to the franchise may not be able to stomach the compromise.
Fans of previous Dragon Ball games will no doubt have a field day with XenoVerse. Aside from the immediate sense of familiarity, it has a shedload of content to wade through, including a trove of iconic items and clothing that can be used to customise your own unique character. Online play is also quite the boon, allowing you to saddle up with friends in a Monster Hunter kind of way. Inevitably, however, there will be those who simply don't see the appeal of XenoVerse's core gameplay, and it ultimately grates as it becomes repetitive no matter how much you enjoy it at first.
Dragon Ball Xenoverse is definitely the best Dragon Ball game in years, though certainly not without its flaws, which shakes up the typical formula and is bound to shape the future of the series.
